Metatisic: The First Saga
by Shinju Tetsuya
Summary: Generation One:: Excavation of an asteroid particle that had tested positive for Cybertonium reveals the trace outline of a old staircase that unintentionally leads it's party deep into Decepticon and Cybertronian history before the first Great War.
1. Chapter 1

Metatisic: The First Saga **Metatisic**   
**TITLE:** Metatisic., Metatisic: The First Saga   
**TYPE:** Transformers G1 Prose fiction   
**AUTHOR:** Shinju Tetsuya   
**FIRST RELEASED:** Concepts 1985., Original draft 11/19/86, 1987.,   
Revised edition 5/8/03., 2004-2005   
**LAST RELEASED:** N/A   
**LANGUAGE:** English   
**RATED:** PG-13 for some violence 

**SUMMERY:** Unable to obtain it from their native planet of Cybertron, Galvatron, resorts to excavating an asteroid particle that has tested positive for Cybertonium dispatching a crew to retrieve it. But as the soil is removed, trace outline of an auld staircase unintentionally leads the party deep into Decepticon and Cybertronian history before the first Great War. 

**NOTES:**

What you are about to read here is the result of a ongoing restoration project I have been laboring over for the passed 2 years; nearly three. While it has been mentioned before in random messageboard threads, for those few, the story of Metatisic was the first saga of a TF trilogy that was originally written over the course of three years between 1985 to mid 1987. Founded completely on the Season 2 "War Dawn" episode, the original copy was done by hand and entirely written in ink on the pages of your average run of the mill 3-subject notebook! 

Some 15 years later after the fact, in 2002, I was fortunate enough to find a lot of my original 80's TF art that had been stored away in boxes up in the attic. Sadly, however, time can be a vicious enemy. Much of what I found had seen a lot better days. The original Metatisic script was amongst the collection. Written in black felt tip BIC, the cursive had faded to a bleed of brown and tans. A good portion of the copy, at some point in time, was subjected to moisture. Those areas had molded, rippled, and stuck together. In May of 2003, I took up my first endeavors towards salvaging it. Transferring and translating all that I could manage from the original to PC disk, I also gave it a fresh, much needed, update in the process while managing my best efforts to stay true to its roots. 

I hope that our viewers here will consider these efforts as they read and enjoy this classic hallmark of my youth. 

This feature is originally presented at **Dragonball HC**

* * *

**Metatisic: Part One**

Some words to know: 

**Bryrite** -- _A ancient Cybertronian alloy_   
**Delepic** --_(Dee-lep-ick) A ancient Cybertronian langauage/manuscript spoken by the Decepticon race egos ago._   
**Ta'nak** --_(Tah-nock) A former peninsula of Cybertron where the Decepticons resided., The Empire of Ta'nak_   
**O'raymeniusian** --_(Oh-ray-men-us-e-an) Decepticon dates, eras, and/or dynasties, (Like Megatronian) were named after king's who ruled at those times. O'raymenis was a ancient Decepticon king._   
**Railian** --_(Rail-e-on) Same as above., Decepticon dates, eras, and/or dynasties were named after king's who ruled at those times. Rail was another ancient Decepticon king._

* * *

"Cyclonus." Galvatron pulled his second aside once he was certain the other Decepticons had departed the agora, "Go with them." He ordered, "And take Scourge with you." 

"Something wrong, mighty one?" 

"No," Galvatron directed his answer toward the entry just then. His right eye collapsed into a tiny slit, "While I trust the Constructicons ability to find the Cybertonium we need, I don't trust Swindle or Ramjet's ability to deliver it safely back to Charr." 

Cyclonus nodded. 

"See to it that they do not fail." 

"Of course, Mighty Galvatron. As you wish." 

"Oh! ... And Cyclonus?" 

"Yes?" 

"That statement includes you!" The Decepticon leader's brow arched as though it were momentarily endowed with the power of the demand. His glare washed over the blue jet from foot to face before he returned back to his throne. Rumble stood there with a chalice of energon Galvatron had requested more than 40 minutes ago ever since Soundwave had come to report the findings. 

Cyclonus stood erect. Placing his fist firmly to his left shoulder he insisted Galvatron had nothing at all to be concerned with. Turning to leave, Rumble followed him out. 

"You know, Cyclonus." Rumble walked beside him, "I can understand Galvatron's concerns. We need the Cybertonium. Ever since we lost Cybertron to reside on this shell-excuse of a planet. ...heh... you weren't there the last time our system intact depleted. It was awful." Rumble laughed at the immediate flashing memory in his head as they approached Sector-vane –The headquarter's main transportation grid, "Haha ...I couldn't stop punching Megatron. And Starscream was all ..." 

"Correction, Rumble. I WAS there, and I DO remember." Cyclonus cut him off as they stepped aboard the elevator pod. "Sector-vane! Surface level! Order 828. ...True that I was not Cyclonus" He continued, "But I remember and understand how vital it is for us to retrieve the nutrient now and deliver it safely back to Charr as Galvatron has ordered." He spotted one of the Sweeps. Good. That saved him the time of trying to locate Scourge. 

"Yeah, well happy huntings. At least I don't have to b..." 

"Rumble." Soundwave's voice broadcast through his intercom, "Report to C-5. Operation ... Follow us to the asteroid. Desire ... To activate piledrivers to aid in search of Cybertonium deposits." 

"You were saying, Rumble?" 

The cassette just snorted. 

**1**

An asteroid particle apparently from Cybertron. That's what Soundwave had reported. An asteroid particle that tested positive with traces of Cybertonuim. Since there was no going to Cybertron to ask the Autobots for the valuable mineral they had been reduced to finding such alternate means. But this hardly looked like a particle. Cyclonus slowed as they approached ultimately cutting off his engines entirely and just transforming from jet to his robot self. 

"Very big for an asteroid if you want my opinion." Scourge coasted beside him. 

"My sentiments exactly." Cyclonus agreed. It was huge and it only seemed to grow larger still the closer they neared. He could pick out details now, a span of unorganized jutting ruts and fang like spears of both rock and metal that interchanged with moments of flat horizons. Ragged and frayed, it was scattered altogether on one gusting streak of blackness. A smell like burnt tar was overpowering. 

"Ug!" Rumble wrinkled his nose, "What is that smell!" 

"Source ...ancient sulfur fumes." Soundwave informed, "The residue of war." 

"Uhn? War?" 

"What he means is the same reason Cybertonium deposits were discovered here. The asteroid was obviously once part of Cybertron." Cyclonus saw Ratbat approaching them. Soundwave pushed his eject button allowing him to transform. "... No doubt it was subject to intense fighting many eons ago," Cyclonus added, "It must have dislodged from the planet as a result." 

"Attention, Cyclonus. Ratbat informs that the Constructicons are already here. They have already begun the process of locating and extracting the Cybertonium." 

"Very well. Decepticons! Land!" 

**2**

"Move this and move that!" Long Haul mumbled his complaints, "Haul this and haul that!" His tone rose a octave, "I'm a haul'in. I'm a haul'in. Look! Happy now?" 

Breakdown rolled his optics at him and dropped the next load of debris in ---- HARD and on purpose. It made Swindle laugh, "Eh! Throw a damn wrench in it, Long Haul!" He spotted Cyclonus and Scourge just then, "Un-oh. Head up, soldiers. ...Looks as though Galvatron's brown nose brigade has decided to come at last." 

"Shut up, Swindle! You want him to hear us!" 

"Feh!" Swindle spat and blew a raspberry at the same time, "Eh! He's jack'in him up the tailpipe you know it!" He snorting with a snicker. 

**"SWINDLE!"**

"Yeah What? Well I don't care. Galvatron gave us this job to do. The least he could do is trust us to finish it without Cyclonus sticking his..." 

"Without Cyclonus sticking **what** exactly, Swindle?" A pair of crimson eyes darkened. Long Haul sped off to avert getting involved as Breakdown merely returned to digging as though he never was party to it at all. Scowling once, Swindle's eyes flicked towards the Stunticon only to return back to Cyclonus and his nose now full of his drawn pistol. 

"Funny. ... A moment ago I was sure you said that you didn't care weather or not I heard you." 

"Y–you mu ..mu–misunderstood, Cyclonus." Swindle humored weakly. He opened his mouth to explain, but the lieutenant only thrust the gun into his cheek. 

"Did I? Your work habits, Swindle, are sloppy at best." Cyclonus snapped, "Your lil' episode on Terra last month left Charr's power supply to nothing more than rations for 2 weeks solid due to your repetitive, and might I add, rather popular spree of bumblings. I **stick** my nose in to see it's not repeated." 

He pressed the weapon again, harder this time, nearly knocking the Combaticon off his feet. Cyclonus' face twisted with revolt just as Long Haul backed up for another load. 

"What was that about?" Scourge leaned towards him as Cyclonus pocketed his pistol. 

"A correction of disobedience, Scourge. Nothing more." 

"Yeah." The sweep looked around, "So whatcha think about this place? I don't like it. .. It looks so ... I dunno. Dead." 

_"The color of dead Transformers"_ ---- The memory invaded Cyclonus. He had seen them once in the catacombs and now he fought to exorcize the recollection quickly. He really wished that Scourge hadn't brought up the remark to remind him. The second-in-command had only just begun to finally adjust his vision to accompany the landscapes' endless host of pewter fragmented light and even darker shadows. A collected harvest of gray. 

Blinking at the gloom, the scent of the sulfur had seemed to fade, but the fleeting memory of the crypt filled his nostrils with the memorial stench of metallic rot and corrosion. In the fragile lighting the asteroid's darkest hews teased his senses tracing out figures of pale blue light; insubstantial as moonbeams, and less than puffs of smoke. ...images that haunted fast, but just as quickly dispelled. 

Cyclonus didn't realize he was staring until Scourge grasped his shoulder, "Cyclonus?" 

"Huh! ...Umm-err ... Well we don't intend to stay, Scourge. ...Mixmaster! Have you located the Cybertonium!" 

"Working, working, working on it as we speak, Cyclonus. Our trackers indicate that the Cybertonium Ratbat detected are within reach." 

"Very well. Continue." 

"Rumble!" Hook transformed to his robot form, "We'll move faster if you help us to shake things up a bit." 

"No way!" Dead End chortled, "I've got a better idea. Let's form Menasor and level this rock face. Constructicons take all day with their pussy-foot perfection." He barely finished when Long Haul backed into him, "I demand that that you take that back!" 

"Silence!" Cyclonus injected, "And you'll do nothing of the sort, Dead End! We must operate with caution otherwise the Cybertonium might be damaged." 

"Er?" Mixmaster stopped suddenly, "What is this here?" The Constructicon transformed suddenly bending to one knee and curiously brushing his hand across the tilled surface. "Hey you guys. Looky this here." 

"The Cybertonium?" Scrapper drove towards him. Two other Stunticons gathered around. 

"No." Mixmaster brushed his hand faster, "Not Cybertronium .. .it... it's ..it looks like a step." 

"A what! ...No way!" Swindle couldn't believe it, but yet as he looked on, Mixmaster has switched his pace to pulling the debris free from the discovery in both gobs and handfuls. At first only about a foot could be made out. It could have been just about anything. But then there was two, then another foot. A metallic step, it's silver long since turned to a dull smoke —much like the rest of it's neighboring environment. Streaks of black marbled through it. 

"Well I'll be damned." Swindle pulled a large chunk of the surface crust away, "It **IS** a step. ..Motormaster, Scrapper, Ramjet... help us." 

"It looks like Bryrite." Long Haul's amazement triggered Scourge's right brow to lift, "Bryrite?" He asked. "It's an ancient metal alloy." Long Haul replied, "Found only on Cybertron ..Yeah. No great surprise, huh? Only this alloy has been extinct now for at least 7 million years." He added, "The first two Great Wars wiped out the supply to bare nothingness." 

For whatever reason, Cyclonus didn't appear even remotely as thrilled as the others. Standing aside he had perched his hands upon his hips watching from the same exact spot Scourge had left him in, "Cyclonus." Scourge joined him, "Mixmaster found a step of some sort made of ..." 

"Of Bryrite. Yes. I am able to hear, Scourge." 

The sweep leader looked puzzled. He was about ready to speak. Apparently Cyclonus knew why and moved towards the find, "I don't know why the discovery should amaze you so. You were all aware that the asteroid was once a part of Cybertron." He shrugged, "Should it be to incredibly odd to presume that the remains of that knowledge would still be here in traces and particles?" 

"Traces and particles, yes." There was a brand-new sound in Mixmaster's vocals just then. Full of alert and disbelief, "But not this, Cyclonus." 

**_Hob-nudian Chapters_** TEXT & ART © 2000-2005 By Shinju 悪質 夢幻 , First rights Only. © 2005 BIRD STUDIOS/SHUEISHA,   
TOEI ANIMATION. All rights reserved. Dragonball Z, all logos, character names and distintive likenesses thereof are trademarks of TOEI ANIMATION. TRANSFORMERS, all logos, character names and distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of Hasbro., licensed by Takara Co, ltd. All rights Reserved. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Metatisic: Part Two**

**TITLE: **Metatisic., Metatisic: The First Saga

**TYPE: **Transformers G1 Prose fiction

**AUTHOR: **Shinju Tetsuya

**FIRST RELEASED: **Concepts 1985., Original draft 11/19/86, 1987.,

Revised edition 5/8/03., 2004-2005

**LAST RELEASED: **N/A

**LANGUAGE: **English

**RATED: **PG-13 for some violence

**SUMMERY: **Unable to obtain it from their native planet of Cybertron, Galvatron, resorts to excavating an asteroid particle that has tested positive for Cybertonium dispatching a crew to retrieve it. But as the soil is removed, trace outline of an auld staircase unintentionally leads the party deep into Decepticon and Cybertronian history before the first Great War.

This feature is originally presented at Dragonball HC

Some words to know:

**Bryrite** -- _A ancient Cybertronian alloy_

**Delepic **--(Dee-lep-ick) _A ancient Cybertronian langauage/manuscript spoken by the Decepticon race egos ago._

**Ta'nak** --(Tah-nock) _A former peninsula of Cybertron where the Decepticons resided., The Empire of Ta'nak_

**O'raymeniusian **--(Oh-ray-men-us-e-an) _Decepticon dates, eras, and/or dynasties, (Like Megatronian) were named after king's who ruled at those times. O'raymenis was a ancient Decepticon king._

**Railian **--(Rail-e-on) _Same as above., Decepticon dates, eras, and/or dynasties were named after king's who ruled at those times. Rail was another ancient Decepticon king. _

_continued ..._

Tracing the exposed stair to where the first of several mountain ranges began to rise. Mixmaster tugged a boulder free shifting the delicate plates and upsetting it's camouflage to reveal it was a lot more than mere mountain. Rock and metal popping, fishers slashed upwards and across the mount – the harbinger of what was to come.

"Everybody! Baaaack!" Rumble warned immediately stepping backwards. He pulled Mixmaster with him until his instincts propelled him up into the air just as the mountain's face finally slipped. Down it went, swapping devastation and shockwave as It's foundation collapsed on one side then the other. A darkened mess of soot, ash, and stone poured down it's sagging incline and spilled across the ground in authoritative vibrations.

Cyclonus attempted to run, "Scourge! Ahee!" He couldn't see, much less hear anything. Rumble's command was lost in the loud thunder and everyone else had disappeared into heavy eruption of dusty smoke plumes. Stones pelted his back as the quake forced him off his feet, "Ahh–Whoaaa! Scourge! ...Ramjet!"

Cyclonus rolled over onto his stomach and staggered to his feet. His legs were already trying to make a break for it before he was balanced, and as a result he fell flat once again.

"Ehh...Soundwave!" Pebbles dinged off him like hail. He scrambled to get to his knees only falling sideways. There was no answer ...just the groaning concussions of the mountain as it shivered into fragments.

**3**

Someone was pinning him, no... some thing was. A bigger portion of the mountain was pressed against his right leg and for a idle moment, Cyclonus didn't have the strength to move it. His throat burned, but worse yet was a sharp needling pain that seemed to be corkscrewing straight through his optics when he tried to open them. When the pain went, it didn't simply dwindle; it just disappeared. There one moment, and gone the next. It surfaced again without warning jerking a startled cry from him.

"Cy ...hack–cough... cclonus?"

Oh! Thank Primus! Scourge! Cyclonus couldn't see him; couldn't dare answer him either. ...dust seemed to be spray painted across his eyes and throat several coats thick. No matter how bad he winked, everything appeared as though it were thrust under deep water.

"Cyclonus?"

"Unn-hhuuu!" The Saboteur thrashed his head from side to side groping at his neck. His mouth hinged open and snapped close the next; twisting, nothing drawing in and nothing but dry puffs coming out.

"I gotcha, Cyc. ...Hold onn–rrr!" The sweep's vow churned with a grunt as he lifted the rubble trapping his commander and like the throb in Cyclonus' lenses just moments before, this too, passed. His chest heaved as he tore in a gulp of air,

"Unn ... ack!"

"Ah–alright? Cyclonus?"

Cyclonus' eyelids sprung wide open closing again just as tight, "Err" Wincing he pried them open once more. His vision was clearing and it was only then that he realized that what he thought was Scourge wasn't the sweep leader at all. It was Motormaster. Cyclonus watched him slide the heavy beam in his arms to one side where he dropped it with a thud.

"There ...ah... we...GO!" The Stunticon smiled to himself, "Okay there, Cyclonus?" He tugged him to his feet.

Scourge was there, just further ahead of them standing side by side with Ramjet, Rumble, and Swindle. Powdery semblance hovered around them fanning out.

"I – must have jolted my equilibrium chips when the mountain caved." Cyclonus finally replied. He shook his head and nearly fell into Motormaster.

"Whoa! Watch it."

"Still ..er..stabilizing ... eh. S-soundwave?"

"Yes, Cyclonus?"

"Damage report?"

"None to report. All Decepticons accounted for and functional."

"Yeah.. Hahaha." Rumble snickered, "And for once I can say THAT was not my fault."

"Mixmaster!" Scrapper clocked his fellow Constructicon, "Are your brain cogs loose! You nearly killed us!"

"Oh yeah.. Like I knew it was going to fall! Besides, never mind that." Mixmaster pointed, "Look at what we have here. My friends it seems as though we have solved the purpose of the step."

"Well I'll be the son of a laptop!" Dead End looked to where the mount had once stood, "It —it's some type of building. Er.. a temple or something."

It looked to be built straight into the mountain side, or so it seemed. There was evidence that there was much more to it's facade than could be seen. Some time ago, several eternities worth, the land had been subject to violent warfare and weather by fault or by nature, the mountain had collapsed upon the building burying it and it's surrounding populous in the carnage. By doing so it had done the architecture a valuable favor; sealing it away from the elements and the wrath of time.

"Well?" Swindle said searching out Cyclonus' eyes, "What do you think of this particle, commander?"

"Shut up, Swindle." Cyclonus never looked at him. Left and right, east and west, His gaze panned across the discovery stepping forward first, then sideways in caution toward the black maw that had once been it's door.

The mountain's shift had unearthed more of the stairs. He climbed the first throwing his attention upwards before swinging his focus across the exterior walls and tracing one of it's many craved decorations briefly with his forefinger.

There was a power here. An echo. He could almost hear it in fact. It washed into him with a primitive might and glory cramming his body with it's voltage. When he lowered his eyes agian, Rumble was standing along side of him.

"It looks like some type of---" Rumble began, and then broke off. His head snapped to the opening they stood beside. His eyes growing some.

"What?" Cyclonus followed his stare, "What is--------?" He began, and Rumble put a finger first up to his lip, grasped the blue jet by the arm pulling him into a tilt, and pointed, "What's that there?"

What was what? Cyclonus couldn't see anything until Long Haul joined them. "Let me take a stab at it." He said, and switch on his photon beam where it landed on what resembled a large dirt heap laid across the floor inside about 16-17 feet in. Perhaps it was part of the ancient buildings ceiling. Whatever it was, considering the rest of this first chamber appeared so bare, it was no wonder it caught the small Decepticon's attention in the night dark pitch.

Ramjet was the first to dare to investigate the mound stepping back immediately when he saw clearly that it was neither rock or ruin, but a body! Surprise jerked him backwards and collided him into Scourge who just shoved him back inside again.

"Coward!" He spat, "Get inside. I want to see."

"No." Cyclonus moved them both aside, "I WANT too. Long Haul! Keep you light on and come here."

"Eh." Swindle mushed his lips and shrugged, "Dead Autobot."

"Very dead." Scrapper snickered.

"Ah..Mmmmm ...Just the way I love my Autobots." Hook added.

A new projection suddenly bathed the body in a violet light. Holding a button on his chest, Soundwave looked down at the remains pitifully, "Correction." He said, "My data banks confer that the corpse is not Autobot in origin."

"Er?" Rumble lifted an eyebrow, "What do you mean? You know what it is, big guy?"

"Affirmative. I have long since held detailed historical files of the planet of Cybertron. The body is from the earliest Megatronian era of the Ta'nakian peninsula. ...Carbonized dating ... 8.74 million years ago. Probably chance it is a victim of the second wave of the first Great War."

Motormaster whistled in astoundment.

"Megatronian whaa and Tanooky-who?" Swindle wrinkled one side of his face.

"It is a Decepticon." Soundwave finalized sharply looking on as Cyclonus had knelt to one knee before the remains reaching a hand to it's torso. No sooner was his palm upon it did the hulk cave in! All of him, collapsing inward like a husk, like last year's leaves when stepped upon! Beneath the cage of frame work which also powdered away, there was nothing. It's head likewise crumbled into dust, set free by the body's avalanche. The limbs were the last to go, deflating even as Galvatron's second perched looking on. In the merest moment the ancestor was a heap of metallic dust and small shards of rust. Only one leg remained.

"They don't make servos like they used too, no?" Scrapper's eyes blossomed and arched at the spectacle.

"Have some respect." Scourge waved a finger, "I am moved by this ancestor. His plight is still our own. Let us be reminded O' fellow Decepticons."

"Well spoken, Scourge." Cyclonus climbed to his feet and stared at the chamber walls; like the outside facade, they too, were decorated with heavy blends of letters and pictures that were telling a bittersweet story of just how wonderful things really had been once so long ago.

**TO BE CONTINUED ...**

Hob-nudian Chapters TEXT & ART © 2000-2005 By Shinju, First rights Only. © 2005 BIRD STUDIOS/SHUEISHA, TOEI ANIMATION. All rights reserved. Dragonball Z, all logos, character names and distintive likenesses thereof are trademarks of TOEI ANIMATION. TRANSFORMERS, all logos, character names and distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of Hasbro., licensed by Takara Co, ltd. All rights Reserved.


	3. Chapter 3

**Metatisic: Part Three**

**TITLE: **Metatisic., Metatisic: The First Saga

**TYPE: **Transformers G1 Prose fiction

**AUTHOR: **Shinju Tetsuya

**FIRST RELEASED: **Concepts 1985., Original draft 11/19/86, 1987.,

Revised edition 5/8/03., 2004-2005

**LAST RELEASED: **N/A

**LANGUAGE: **English

**RATED: **PG-13 for some violence

**SUMMERY: **Unable to obtain it from their native planet of Cybertron, Galvatron, resorts to excavating an asteroid particle that has tested positive for Cybertonium dispatching a crew to retrieve it. But as the soil is removed, trace outline of an auld staircase unintentionally leads the party deep into Decepticon and Cybertronian history before the first Great War.

This feature is originally presented at Dragonball HC

**PART THREE: Into the muck!**

_continued ..._

_Plink_ ... pause. _Plink_ ...pause. ..._ Plink._...

It was the only sound. Only one for eternity.

"So what is this place exactly?" Dead End asked and shattered the silence feeling his way along the wall and up one of it's many pillars. The dark was stuffed with sounds, each one magnified. His footsteps echoed as he crossed the bare floor. Deeper inside that condition would change —and rapidly. Here the floor buckled and had popped it's seams thrusting upwards in assorted careless fashions while portions of the temple's ceiling had long since corroded into gigantic fangs of rust and was bleeding long ugly orange stains down the walls. The source of the sound.

_Plink _... pause. _Plink ...Plink_...

"I think the question is, 'what in the hell happened here'." Hook pondered the desolation. Even as he looked at it, one of the auburn icicles snapped and fell. A broken glass, more parts of the wall with flaked remains of it's original paint, the crushed leftovers of a chair (maybe?) Everywhere ... everywhere there was chaos.

"Take a look," Hook pointed at an arm that was poking out from beneath a toppled column. Like the corpse before, it's torso had turned a putrid mix of ocher and gun-metal gray, even it's eyes which were still open and gazing permanently upwards as though it were beseeching some divine force that never came. "There's another one."

"And over there!" Dead End added shouting first and mouthing half-inarticulate curses, "...damn...there's 3. Er.. 4!"

"Aherrr!" Rumble ducked under one of the drooping rustic spears, "Make that 5, guys."

"Then that's six!" Mixmaster said.

"Yeah." Ramjet nodded with a grumble, "And who knows how many more might be underneath all this mess. Welp. That's enough for me. I failed history class and this place is looking more and more like a tomb so let's get the Cybertonium and beat it outta here, okay?"

"Hmm" Cyclonus rubbed his chin, "Soundwave? Considering these remains are nearly identical to the one we discovered before, is it safe to calculate they are also Decepticon?"

"Affirmative. They are."

"Hmmm."

"Cyclonus, if I might add, my data warrants they are also of the same era having perished on the same day."

"A war, Cyclonus." Scourge's optics grew, "Just like you said."

"What! You mean none of them are Autobots?" Swindle sputtered in disbelief, "They're all Deceptico---" He stopped. Just plain stopped. His expression of amazement dissolved into anger. He said nothing else but Motormaster was on to him immediately and shared his reasons: "I'm embarrassed." He revolted, "They must of taken us by surprise. They creamed us!"

As they spoke, Cyclonus wandered away from them; his eyes undecidedly exploring the room and falling upon one of the bodies. He bent towards it, but straightened himself training his focus back to the walls around them, "I'm not so sure." He said tonelessly, but didn't explain.

_Plink ... Plink..._

His confidence faltered, and for a moment Cyclonus looked puzzled. His eyes had darkened, looking inward to consult his thoughts, but coming up empty handed. Motormaster was certain he could actually see it; watch the scarlet vats of the lieutenant snap on and off quivering with each new idea toying, but fizzling out just the same with undecided conclusion. He toed the remains, and suddenly scattered the hulking wreck into a powdery, chinking drift with one heel.

"Not sure about what?' The stunticon quizzed.

"There's something not quite right here." Cyclonus mused to himself. He ground the orange snot from the corpse into the soil flicking his hand once to be sure it was off before he gathered himself to his feet, "I would be ready to believe that, Motormaster," He said finally, "But one important detail is missing here." He hesitated, "...guns."

"Eh?"

"Weaponry; artillery remains of any kind. The signs of a struggle even and there is none here." He pointed, "Whatever killed these men was not the result of heavy fire. Look at the positioning of their wreckage, they are all facing towards the entry."

"And that means?"

"They were running. ... Be careful! No one disturb anything!"

"This has all been very interesting, but I'd –ah– rather not find out what they WERE running from." Ramjet stepped backwards towards the doorway, "If it's all the same with you guys. ...right?"

"Right." Cyclonus agreed with an over-friendly smile, "That's why you'll go first."

"Whaaa? In there!"

"Move!"

"But I can't see!"

"Switch on your highbeams you spineless COWARD!"

"But ... but.." Ramjet could see the commander reaching for his gun and quickly shoved ahead of him before he could frowning sourly, "Awwwwman!" He whined.

Swindle patted his back as he passed him, "Your bravery won't be forgotten, soldier." He snickered insanely as Ramjet mouthed another curse and pounded up the first rise of the floor where the corpse had been. Disturbing the mound beneath him caused it's head to barrel towards the others. Swindle was still laughing when it bounced into his shin: "Bwaahahahaha—**AHHHHHHHHHH!**"

He kicked it away smacking Rumble across the face.

"It's on me!" Rumble screamed, "It's on me! It's on me!"

"Knock it off!" Cyclonus ordered over his shoulder, "Everyone! Follow him!"

**1**

Dip and rise. Dip and rise ... the whole rear of the antechamber seemed like one big ocean current of twisted rotting beams, pipes, and mile high gravel. Where it had been easy going at first, Ramjet now found himself pinned flat on his belly wedged between ceiling and floor. He couldn't see anything now; his lighting buried to the hilt in the dirty drifts beneath him. ...hell! HE was buried in it. Sinking into it like a cracker in chowder.

"You must be kidding." He told nobody and coughed, "Eh-yuck!" He spat out a mouthful of the acrid grim when someone shoved at his foot.

"Dammit, Ramjet! You're kick'in dirt in my face!" Swindle punched him in the calf.

"Face? Try eating it!"

"Gawd! What IS that smell?" Scrapper asked from the back.

"Whatever you ate." Rumble said merrily.

"No I'm serious."

"Ignore it!" Cyclonus' voice ordered.

The smell: It was sewage. Sewage and ancient corrosion. But there was another smell here, too. A lower, more vital aroma Ramjet knew in an instant; he smelt this same odor once before while on the planet Earth ----- Death. The smell of 4 day old exploded possum guts strewn across an interstate under a July sun. It was impossible to ignore no matter what Cyclonus demanded. Ramjet squished slowly along, moving through stuff that wasn't mud —that much he was certain.

"I think my charge is running out." Long Haul said in the black, his photon beam flickered for the third and fourth time, "Better find a foothold quick"

"I'm trying! I'm trying!" Ramjet defended, "There's no end to this... wait a sec!" His hand shuffled across the crusted surface; at next they were grasping air, "Dropoff!" Ramjet hollered back, "Watch your step here!"

Warning them did little to help himself, Ramjet still couldn't see and he grunt struggling to pull his chest up off the ground when the slope gave way and down he went into a thunderous ker-plash! Water. ..stagnant, near waist deep, and swirling with a froth that looked a lot like melted vanilla ice cream. Something banged against him

"Ug... what is that?" Ramjet asked, but then quickly answered himself spotting the thigh floating beside him, "Another body." He tipped his head at it, "... no."

Free from the mush above him, he could see now. His high beams, though pasted with trash, still captured the images of his comrades overhead, and bounced off Cyclonus lowering himself down into the pool.

"That's enough!" Ramjet yelled, "That's it! I'm sick of being the only guy here constantly finding the stiffs. I'm sick of dead, stinking bodies! An hour ago you weren't even interested: "Why should the discovery amaze you so?" He mocked, "You all knew the asteroid was once a part of Cybertron."

Cyclonus just glared at him.

"Well!"

"Yes?"

"Well!"

"Are you through, Ramjet?"

"You're ignoring me!"

"And ON PURPOSE!" Cyclonus snapped, "I've changed my mind. There's something here and I want to know what it is. Move... or you can become a "Stiff" yourself."

"Lemme get on your shoulders, Soundwave." Rumble asked, "I'd disappear in this stuff." The cassette climbed on as the navy Decepticon dropped into the murk.

"Come on, Ram." Hook waded passed, "It's not so bad on this side. Looks pretty dry." He saddled another fallen column urging them on.

**2**

Directly before them the ceiling hung in long barbs —one big hideous cage daring anyone to pass----- Or worse; a warning? Ramjet sure imagined so.

"I --Eh!"

"Stop wrestling with them Ramjet!" Swindle ordered impatiently.

"Yeah, but ...eh...!"

"Will you just–aww the hell!" Swindle pulled his weapon and just blasted the orange tangles away. It crashed all around them, "Haha! See?" He held his pistol aloft for a moment of victory, "You have to open the box to get the present." He grinned pointing his gun before them at an outline of elderly stairs, "How 'bout we see where those lead too?"

"If I find another blasted corpse, Swindle, you're going first."

The framework and masonry was much different here. It was scorched black and scarred by jagged cracks with the tell-tale signs of fire. The staircase Swindle found steeped down and was plugged in places by toppled stone and ash. From what Ramjet could make out, it elbowed to the right after about 9 or 10 steps.

"Maybe a bomb went off?" Scourge guessed.

"We'll find out...Ramjet! Help me." Cyclonus stepped down and got his massive arms around a great chuck of fractured Bryrite and eased it upwards from the rubble pile which seemed to completely choke the stairwell. Together they muscled the block loose pushing it into the corner.

"Watch it!" Scourge jumped back. The rafter beam the Bryrite had been propping clanged at their feet as the debris shifted and sighed. After a moment, taking Cyclonus' arm to steady himself before flattening his palm against the wall, Long Haul stepped down to stamping one foot to be sure what was hidden around the first corner was solid -----It wasn't. At once he went down with a cry of startled surprise up to his thighs into the debris as it suddenly swayed and gave way under him!

The whole well seemed to quake and tremor, and although he didn't realize it, Long Haul had clung to Cyclonus' left leg for dear life.

"Long Haul!" Ramjet threw himself flat reaching down to grab hold of the Constructicon under his arm pivots.

He was already safe though; his feet jutting against an unseen step below, and as they watched in astonishment, so the choking rubble around Long Haul's thighs was calming. "Umm ...somebody? Er—WHOA!" It collapsed in upon itself; suddenly sinking like quicksand into the hollow depths of the stairwell where more stairs emerged. Finally Long Haul could see the one he had been standing on, let go of Cyclonus, and took another step forward dodging under a warped pipe.

"Scourge? Ramjet?" Cyclonus climbed down after him, "Let's go! ..The rest of you; follow, but beware of unstable ground."

"You don't have to tell me." Long Haul whistled, "Ramjet, step ahead! My lightings blown."

"Hurry up!" Motormaster piped from the rear, "I'm squished here and I'm unarmed. Think I lost my weapon in that muck behind us."

Up above, still waiting to follow them down, Mixmaster pulled his and passed it down to him. Swindle saw it and laughed laconically, "Why do we need guns if we're seeking treasure?"

"Mmm?"

"He said, why do we need guns if we're looking for riches and stuff?" Scourge stepped down when Cyclonus did.

"Tell him were scared of spiders!"

**3**

Barbequed chunks of rock, large and small, littered the stairway so badly that Ramjet was often forced to scale over them; but after another bend where the direction spiraled to the left, at last the steps were clear of all but pebbles and silt that had surfed down from above over the centuries.

"It ends here." Ramjet walked off the last step. For a moment he surveyed the new corridor growing before him, and stooping somewhat to avoid a keystone of the first archway which had settled somewhat. Pausing just inside, he aimed his highbeams in a slow semi-circle to illuminate each wall and corner. Like the building's outside facade and main chamber, elaborate cravings of ancient Transformers danced, greeted each other, and worshiped there.

His lighting bounced off the floor — Dust, the filtered dust of ages, lay uniformly thick everywhere. No footprint disturbed it until now. Something new was birthing just ahead. It engorged Ramjet's optics ... made him teeter and crouch instinctively.

"Everybody Down!"

**TO BE CONTINUED ...**

Hob-nudian Chapters TEXT & ART © 2000-2005 By Shinju, First rights Only. © 2005 BIRD STUDIOS/SHUEISHA, TOEI ANIMATION. All rights reserved. Dragonball Z, all logos, character names and distintive likenesses thereof are trademarks of TOEI ANIMATION. TRANSFORMERS, all logos, character names and distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of Hasbro., licensed by Takara Co, ltd. All rights Reserved.


	4. Chapter 4

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**METATISIC: PART FOUR**

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SUMMERY: **Unable to obtain it from their native planet of Cybertron, Galvatron, resorts to excavating an asteroid particle that has tested positive for Cybertonium dispatching a crew to retrieve it. But as the soil is removed, trace outline of an auld staircase unintentionally leads the party deep into Decepticon and Cybertronian history before the first Great War.

This feature is originally presented at Dragonball HC

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_continued ..._

They sat grouped in a huddled; no one moved, and for a moment no one seemed to be breathing either. Not a single sound. Eyes and weapons pointed ahead into the black shaft.

But at what exactly? Ramjet never explained, and he had yet to give a reason. His highbeam tossed left and right for the umpteenth time cutting through the dark searching for what he saw, or whatever it was that he thought he saw. The light's ray was quivering —clear evidence that although they couldn't make it out, that SOMETHING had startled Ramjet.

"I sit like this any longer and I'm going to rust in place." Dead End mumbled, "What is it? I can't see a thing back here!"

"Neither can I so deal with it!" Hook spat, "Not with Soundwave's big he..."

"Will you all just shut up!" Ramjet commanded. Again he swung his light into the black. There was another long pause, more silence, Ramjet heard Scourge's trigger click, "I swear I saw something." Ramjet insisted.

"Yeah!" Swindle agreed, "You're imagination."

"No it wasn't! Something was loo-----"

"Look!" Hook shouted suddenly. Ramjet's flare finally ricocheted off a shimmer of carmine up ahead in the rear of the tunnel; two of them cherry-red and staring back at them all with the pour of darker black that was forming the frame of it's face and it's torso. Mixmaster had barely managed to point and scream: **"THERE'S SOMEONE STANDING OVER THERE!**", when Rumble, already electric with fear, just plain shot at it!

"Ahhhh! WHAT IS IT!"

"It's a ALIEN!"

"Find out later! Destroy it before it gets us!"

"Shoot it!"

"Ahhh! Take that beast!"

Lazars and burst of flash lit up the corridor like a thunder storm. There was no way, even after just a few moments, that they didn't strike the mysterious object at least once, but Cyclonus noticed it's red eyes were still wide open, and not once did it blink. Not once did it yell out from injury. It wasn't natural; wasn't normal.

"Wait a minute!" He decided, "Decepticons! Hold your fire!" One more shot streamed over his shoulder, "I said hold your fire!"

"But..Cyclonus!" Rumble still held his aim, "But those other Decepticons we found? What if this thing..."

The lieutenant spoke nothing, pocketed his phaser, and tugged Ramjet to his feet stepping courageously towards the source of the scarlet glow. Ramjet's photon jerked and zagged lubberly until finally it's ray crossed the wall and danced it's first true shadow upon the strange entity. It's eyes sparkled now in the full glare.

"This thing is not even alive." Cyclonus breathed deeply and lifted one brow. "..Well done O' mighty Decepticon warriors! Let us unveil the enemy shall we?" His voice was much too critical ------ And on purpose for when Cyclonus turned to face the group, Mixmaster's grip on his weapon dissolved while Scourge groaned.

"It's a statue!" Swindle chuckled. Hook jabbed Rumble with his finger, "Hey, ah-Rumble.. Watch out for the big, bad, ol' beast okay?"

"If I could blush I would." Motormaster muttered and hung his head.

"Look what you did, Rumble!" Swindle was still laughing. He smacked the small cassette on the shoulder walking towards the sculpture, "You destroyed it! Hahahahaha!"

"I didn't destroy it."

"I'm open for guesses" Hook's brows gathered at the center of his forehead in curious wonder, "Anybody think they know who it is?" He blinked once, "What it is?"

"Well don't ask me." Ramjet blew the dust from the figure's helmet away. It was crowned by two curved prongs and a third of which had broken off. It lay in the dirt at his feet and he watched as Rumble stooped to pick it up.

The glare he had seen from afar came from it's eyes. Unlike the shoulders and face that was clearly designed from more of the same Bryrite admixture, the optics of the Transformer had been given a special attention by it's ancient artisans and was crafted of high polished carnelian stones. Exposure to untold eons, the Bryrite skin had long since glazed with cracks, pits, and age, but the carnelian looked as alive and vibrant as the day they were set into place.

"You're gonna think this is crazy." Scourge started and stepped back as though to make double sure before he continued. Quickly re-examined the statue's features and the bare tease of a smile that hinted the corners of it's stone lips, "But don't you think he looks a lot like Galvatron?"

"Now that you mention it."

"That's easy." Rumble declared palming the prong fragment, "He's a king."

"Uh? How do you know that Rumble!" Scrapper puzzled.

"Well I'm nowhere close to Soundwave's historical caliber, but I have at least seen this headdress once before." Rumble stepped forward and held the piece in the spot it would have gone, "Don't you remember? Starscream was wearing one just like it at his coronation."

"_Brief_ coronation." Mixmaster injected.

"Yeah, well it belonged to Megatron." Rumble continued, "Starscream always wanted be leader so he studied up on it hard and talked about it all the time so how could I forget? He spoke once how all the great leaders of the past wore something just like it. Supposed to represent the three greater rays of the Karna? Kana? star or-err well something like that...hmm.. I wonder who this guy really is though"

**4**

Like the staircase down, where the statue was erected, the corridor forked to another, but smaller set of stairs; only 4 and Dead End was already down them pouring out all sorts of curses and mingled amazement at what he was witnessing, along with a few he had just invented for the occasion, "Would you look at this. WhoooHoo!" He jollied. He halted upon the last step down lifting a light to the new room. As he did, it's charge seemed to leap and expand to meet the gleam of oranges, yellows, and golds that met the Stunticon's glance everywhere he looked.

This was not the chaos of the building's opening forum, the slime, the burn, and all it's layered muck. This new room was entirely different. True that whatever fate the structure had suffered in the past had strewn it's contents in rickrack profusion, heaping it here and there; a toppled goblet lay on it's side sunk into a drift of dust, but still it was bedecked with beautiful things. A curious collection of tables where more chalices were sitting and a toss of square metallic boxes with filthy screens that might be primitive log books, Dead End guessed. Beside it was a stand of multi-colored fluting branches containing trace smears of ancient grease that could have been anything at all— an old lantern maybe?

It might have escaped destruction, but some of the decor, to escape age had not been so victorious. It might have looked pristine, but a purple colored cloth hung over the arm of one of the table's matching chairs, dissolved into powder on touch. It seemed as those time alone held it in place. Or an old battle helmet on the second table nearby where it's gold leaf had flaked off and tassels had all but entirely rotted away.

"Soundwave." Cyclonus lifted the helmet arching an indignant eyebrow as he spun to face the communicator, "You said you keep data of Cybertron's history, yes?"

"Affirmative."

"What of this structure? These pictographs on the walls?..." He gestured with the helmet, "...and this?"

"The structure is much more older than the bodies." The purple lighting flooded the walls again causing Soundwave's lenses to flicker, "----Mixed architectural antecedents."

"Explain."

"Building has spanned several different eras of time and dynasties; each one adding to it's construction. The entrance and it's adjoining central plaza is the eldest; between the Railian and O'raymeniusian eras of the Ta'nakian peninsula empire...Carbonized dating is forthcoming" Soundwave's optics flashed in neon, "Structure dating is completed---- original foundation ...71.59 million years ago."

"Seventy-one!"Swindle's bottom jaw fell open, "Your logic circuits need tuning right?" He choked, "Say I'm right? Seventy-one!" He repeated, "Seventy-one million years!"

Soundwave's shades glittered again in one violet sweep, "I am unable to translate the pictographs."

"Why not?" Scrapper asked.

"Because it is written in a form of Cybertronian manuscript called, 'Delepic'. ...Ancient Decepticon.. ..the language and it's alphabet is now extinct and can no longer be deciphered."

"Ancient Decepticons" Scourge repeated with a new found pride, "You know what this means, Cyclonus?" Scourge looked for him; the second-in-command had left the room. Clearing the last of the four steps, he was paused just short of the stone faced king that had first welcomed their intrude. Cyclonus' optics lifted and fell from it's chiseled expression as he reached an arm out to the relief of the neighboring side panel and scrolled across the strings of dashes, dots, curls, and jags that might very well have contained the answer to the sweep leader's question if only they could be read.

"Cyclonus?" Scourge climbed the staircase towards him.

"Here, Scourge, take this."

"I'll take it." Rumble grabbed for the helmet and put it on. It was much too big for a Decepticon his size, but he struck a noble pose anyway as Cyclonus pressed the orange panel upon his abdomen. As slide of buttons materialized, his finger tips floated across them.

"Judging by the information given by Soundwave and by the age of this construction in itself, it is certain we have stubbled upon the remains of a settlement belonging to our ancient ancestors." Cyclonus' attention swung out across his comrades as he let go of the panel, walking ahead. "Mmmm..I was suspecting it when I first noticed the clear lack of Autobot influence and the void of their remains in the first main chamber, but now I am certain."

Cyclonus turned to the communicator.

"Soundwave. Twice your data registered back to the old Cybertronian peninsula of Ta'nak. The foundation of this ruin alone is several eons older than the first Great War. If this is indeed true, then this place was no temporary dwelling. We're standing literally in what appears to be the remains of the old Decepticon empire."

"Do you think this asteroid IS Tanook-a--whatever? The peninsula?" Hook asked.

"It must be. What other rational conclusion is there?"

"Well I don't know anything Ta'nak." Ramjet propped a hand on his hip, "It's before my time."

"I've never seen it 'ither, but I am familiar with it's many legends."

"I've heard some stories." Rumble tipped the helmet up from his eyes, "If this really is the remains of the old empire, then I really doubt this building is all there is, Cyclonus. The empire sprawl was said to be really large. We're talking metropolis here."

"When we first arrived here I was impressed by the sheer size of this asteroid." Scourge agreed.

"There's something I don't understand though..."

"Of course not, Swindle. You never do." Motormaster snickered.

"Eh-Shut up! ... But what I don't understand is what happened here? Okay so we have no bullet holes and no dead Autobots; that means we can rule out the physical one on one combat. We do have a lot of burn patterns though, so then what did kill these Decepticon predecessors?"

"You pose an interesting question, Swindle." Scourge said, "One thing is certain however, if this really is what's left of the old Cybertronian appendix, I don't recall any time when it was actually connected to Cybertron."

"_There's something not quite right here. ...I would be ready to believe that, Motormaster, but one important detail is missing here...guns. Weaponry; artillery remains of any kind. The signs of a struggle even and there is none here. Whatever killed these men was not the result of heavy fire. Look at the positioning of their wreckage, they are all facing towards the entry."_

"_And that means?"_

"_They were running. ...running.."_

They were running -- Cyclonus' first analyses over an hour ago lit a flare in Ramjet's thoughts. It dawned across his face with wide open eyes, "Running." He said unventilated. His tone magnified immediately, "That's it! Ta'nak was a peninsula. It was once part of Cybertron! ...Cyclonus said the positioning of the remains appeared as though they were trying to flee from something! Well what if the reason they were running is because Ta'nak WAS separating from the planet Cybertron? That would of had to of been a major catastrophe you'd think? Serious enough to cause explosions to result in all the burn scars we've found."

"You know what?" Rumble sounded both stupefied and impressed, he drove a fist into into his left palm, "Ramjet's right! I mean, it's a no-brainer that it separated from Cybertron---"

"—And that would certainly explain the way the mountain had collapsed over this structure to hide it when we discovered it." Mixmaster finalized.

"I believe both of your answers are an accurate judgement to e---"

"Cyclonus!" Soundwave cut him off. It was irregular, but his console beeped for his attention, "I am picking up a subspace echo."

The lieutenant could hear it now; it garbled and popping in and out of clarity, "Can you patch it in any better than this?"

"Negative. Structural insurgent electron residue is strong."

"Continue to try. It might be that we're too far into the asteroid. It could be anything from spontaneous astral phenomena to a ship's warp signature."

"Order to head to the surface?" Scourge asked. The commander simply nodded his reply and gestured to the stairway up.

**5**

"Eck!" Ramjet clamped his lips tight in disgust as he scooped slime out from his thrusters and flung it at the antechamber walls with a sickening plop thanking any deity that would answer for seeing glare just up ahead that pointed the direction to the outside, "This stuff is like regurgitation! If I ever see sewage like that again it'll be too soon. I'm a warrior, not an archeologist!"

His complains were answered by Soundwave's intercom bleating loudly once more for an answer, only this time the transmission popped once and exchanged with a heated voice screaming loudly, "Cyclonus! Damn you if you don't answer me–Errrah! Fools! Must I do everything myself!"

"Welp, the bids out on the spontaneous astral phenomena." Motormaster winced at the transmit, "It's Galvatron."

"Galvatron **IS** a astral phenomena!" Dead End butted.

"Hey, Cyclonus! Galvatron's on the line! Although you might not want to take it" Motormaster turned behind him watching as Cyclonus just now clearing the rise of the last debris heap . Pressed tightly against the ceiling, he winced until the litter puked him out. He slid belly first to the floor.

"Is there something wrong?" Cyclonus asked.

"Eh... Well does, you might want to consider a new zipcode, sum it up?"

"Cyclonus!" Galvatron's voice blared loudly once more. Amplified by the forum, he seemed to be screaming from just about every possible direction, "I swear if I have to go there myself I'll be ripping the wings off your body!"

Cyclonus stepped to the outdoors. Outside, where just hours earlier, the lands seemed all but suffocated in darkness, to the far south, the horizon was streaked in slashes of bright pink glazing the black frontier with fractures like broken glass.

"Cyclonus." Soundwave pointed the obvious; to the spectacle, and the reasoning for their disrupted communication attempts, "High level of electromagnetic radiation is detected."

"Mighty One? This is Cyclonus. Can you read me?"

"Cyclonus! I have been paging you for the last 2 ½ astro-hours!"

"We have been fighting strong anti-waves, M'lord. The receivers were malfunctioning and----!"

"**YOU'RE GOING TO BE THE ONE THAT'S MALFUNCTIONING!"**

"Terribly sorry, Mighty Galvatron. It could not be helped." His eyes rolled up panning the magenta bleeds when the Decepticon leader's voice barked back at him again.

"Well, never mind that now. We've been fighting the same hindrance here on Charr. There is solar flux coming in at range 486.8. It has disrupted our communications as well as our sensors."

"I see it now, Mighty Galvatron." Cyclonus tilted his head back, "But listen, M'lord, we've made an intriguing discove------"

"There have been Autobot patrols spotted in the region since it's detection." Galvatron came back, "I do not need them meddling into my affairs."

"Eh ...M'lord I..."

"I want the Cybertonium to safely reach Charr, Cyclonus, which is why I've ordered the Pedicons to fuel you a cargo ship so that we'll only need to do one run. To avoid them and the storm. I've been trying to reach you since in order to let you know because they ought to be arriving shortly. I trust that you've gathered the Cybertonium deposits? Yes?"

Silence answered back, and a few pops of static snow. Galvatron detected the answer before Cyclonus even spoke.

"NO!" ---- He could hear it; sense the new extra pitch in the leader's voice. It always happened just before Galvatron's rage hit it's critical peak and some unfortunate Decepticon lost their head. Cyclonus grabbed control before Galvatron lost his.

"We've made an alarming discovery on the asteroid, Mighty one. I wanted to tell you earlier. Digging for the Cybertonium, Mixmaster uncovered an entire building structure with remains and various artifacts intact."

"What!" ----Thank, Primus! As Cyclonus suspected, Galvatron's flaring rage swapped with new intrigue.

"I'll patch you an image now. M'lord, all of it's architectural antecedent signatures pin that it is clearly the Decepticon race"

"Decepticon! How big is this ruin!"

"Quite large, Galvatron. We just spent the last hours exploring it's interior. Clearly it has suffered damage, but there's something more important than that. Soundwave ran a data check on it and dated it's eldest foundation to at least 70 million years in age. There is no doubt that knowledge places the construction to the old Decepticon empire of Ta'nak."

"Have you found anything other than the building?"

"Nay, thus far we've only unearthed this one structure, but we are certain that there is more to be found here if this is indeed the remains of Ta'nak."

Galvatron laughed suddenly, "Oh! Cyclonus!" He chuckled again, "You have indeed redeemed yourself, old friend." Another laugh, "Oh you most certainly have! I would like to have to have this asteroid excavated throughly. We must see what other secrets it might yield for us and exercise it with caution."

"Agreed, Mighty One."

"Still, locating the Cybertonium that is also there must still be a priority. Without it we will all malfunction."

"Cyclonus." Mixmaster had been listening to the conversation and stepped towards him, "We might have a problem. Where our scouters first detected the Cybertonium is the same area where the staircase was discovered. I fear the mineral is under the outside foundation."

"Cyclonus?" Galvatron's voice rasped back. He was starting to fuzz out again, "You still there?"

"Yes, Mighty One. Er... Galvatron. Mixmaster said that where the mineral is detected is where the outer steps of the ruin was also uncovered. The deposit seems to be under the outside foundation."

"Mmm.." _(Pop-crackle) _"...There's nothing we can do now with the storm system moving through. Cyclonus, give the order to return to Charr. We'll have to plan a proper course of action to retrieve Cybertonium and do it without upsetting the ancient structure."

"I'm picking up a reading." Scourge warned suddenly, "Ship incoming."

Cyclonus could see it now; it was nothing more than a mere twinkle skirting on the horizon speeding towards them, but it had to be the cargo unit Galvatron had dispatched, "M'lord, the Predicons have arrived with the cargo transport."

"Good. Return to Charr. Galvatron out."

Cyclonus nodded and closed his intercom giving the order to prepare to head out.

** TO BE CONTINUED ...**

Hob-nudian Chapters TEXT & ART © 2000-2005 By Shinju, First rights Only. © 2005 BIRD STUDIOS/SHUEISHA, TOEI ANIMATION. All rights reserved. Dragonball Z, all logos, character names and distintive likenesses thereof are trademarks of TOEI ANIMATION. TRANSFORMERS, all logos, character names and distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of Hasbro., licensed by Takara Co, ltd. All rights Reserved.


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